Copy, paste. Copy, paste. Repeat until desired length is met.

The message of the August 5 piece, “Most decisions best left to local schools,” appears to be: Big government is bad. And we don’t need to tell you why, because we copied and pasted large swaths of an organization’s report about schools. And that’s all the evidence we need to make baseless assertions.

Remember that the main argument is supposed to be that local schools are a more efficacious actor than the Federal Government. Let’s see how they back up that argument.

When Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, it was seen, for good or ill, as a federal intrusion into an area — elementary and secondary education — that was traditionally a local and state prerogative.

Indeed, NCLB was a major shift. Was it bad?

Now comes evidence that the act has reshaped, often in major fashion, the school day, particularly in elementary schools.

Indeed, NCLB was a major shift. Was it bad?

According to a sample of the nation’s school districts by the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy, 62 percent of the districts reported their grade schools spending substantially more time on reading and math — the two subjects on which the law requires annual testing between the third and eighth grades.

Indeed, NCLB was a major sift. Was it bad?

The increases in instruction time were substantial — 46 percent for English and 37 percent for math.

Indeed, NCLB was a major shift. Was it bad?

In 44 percent of school districts, the stepped-up instruction came at the expense of other subjects, including a 36 percent drop in time spent on social studies, 28 percent on science, 16 percent in art and music, and even cuts in lunch, recess and gym.

Indeed, NCLB was a major shift. Was it bad?

As a side note, is it bad that they’re spending more time on math and reading? If you can’t read, you can’t do social studies. If you can’t do math, you can’t do science. It appears that this back to basics philosophy is sound. Any objections?

The law contains sanctions for schools that fail to perform on the tests and, not surprisingly, the shift in emphasis was greatest in districts where at least one school was identified as underperforming.

Indeed, NCLB was a major shift. Was it bad?

Whether this is good or bad seems to depend on the educator. Some say the emphasis on reading and math at the expense of other subjects makes the school day too narrow and uninteresting.

Okay. So the SASTEB’s main issue is that too much reading and math makes the day.... uninteresting??? Here’s uninteresting: trying to discuss East Asian Cultures when the reading level of the students is so low that they can’t comprehend what they’re reading. That’s not just uninteresting, that’s mind-numbing.

Bottom line: If, as the SASTEB purported, this shift away from social studies and science is happening in the low-performing schools, then those schools need to be teaching reading and math above all else.

Still, others argue that reading and math are the indispensable foundation to studying those other subjects, particularly science and history.

Great. You just killed your own argument. That's just cruel - it's like executing the mentally retarded.

Congress will thoroughly hash over these arguments when it considers re-authorizing the act this year.

Was that all you guys had to say about why NCLB was bad? It makes school... uninteresting? That’s a major trait of school - kids find it uninteresting.

The Center on Education Policy study clearly shows what many of us already knew: the federal government is a major force in decisions that really should be handled by local officials.

No!!!!!!! You never told me WHY they should be handled by local officials. You can’t just take for granted that the local districts are better than the Federal Government - you have to back up your argument with pertinent facts. The only facts you guys gave were about some random report. You didn’t show how local control was good!!! Or how Federal control was bad!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

JULIUS LOGIC

by William Shakespeare. Kind of.

Rome, 44 BC

Brucus McLarenus
(kneeling) O Logic -

Logic
Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Angelus Shafferus
(kneeling) Great Logic -

Logic
Doth not the SASTEB bootless kneel?

Tyus Meighanus
Speak, hands, for me!

The conspirators stab Logic, SASTEB last.

Logic
Et tu, SASTÉB? - Then fall, Logic.
(dies)

Tyus Meighanus
Liberty! Freedom! Logic is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the editorial pages!

Flourish. Exeunt. Curtain.